An MRI breast imaging technique that requires no contrast agent, combined with sophisticated data analysis, could reduce the number of unnecessary breast biopsies, according to a study appearing online in February 2018 in the journal Radiology. A release from the Radiological Society of North America explains that breast MRI currently is used to screen women… Continue reading MRI Technique Differentiates Benign Breast Lesions from Malignancies
Tag: Breast Cancer
Biopsies after Breast Cancer
In an analysis of more than 120,000 women diagnosed with and treated for early-stage breast cancer, researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have determined the rate of additional breast biopsies needed for these patients during follow-up care. The findings were reported in JAMA Surgery. “The important message is that the rate… Continue reading Biopsies after Breast Cancer
Breast Reconstruction: Why Going Out-of-Network Might Work for You
A diagnosis of breast cancer turns a woman’s life upside down. Despite roiling emotions, she must make crucial decisions about treatment and figure out how to manage her life in the face of a new reality. Not least among her concerns are the financial ramifications of her illness, particularly if she will need a mastectomy.… Continue reading Breast Reconstruction: Why Going Out-of-Network Might Work for You
Nipple-sparing Surgery Is Safe for Women with Harmful BRCA Mutations
According to the National Cancer Institute, the risk of breast cancer is approximately 12% for women in the general population, which means that one in eight women will develop breast cancer at some point in her life. But the risk is considerably greater for women who inherit a mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene… Continue reading Nipple-sparing Surgery Is Safe for Women with Harmful BRCA Mutations
4 Tips for Staying Positive on The Road to Breast-Cancer Survival
About one in eight U.S. women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime, according to http://www.breastcancer.org/. The website notes that in 2017 an estimated 252,710 more American women will be diagnosed. October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month magnifies those alarming statistics. The disease stays center-stage when a celebrity like actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus announces she has breast… Continue reading 4 Tips for Staying Positive on The Road to Breast-Cancer Survival
The Link Between Bacterial Imbalances and Breast Cancer
In a study published online in Oncotarget in October 2017, Cleveland Clinic researchers have uncovered differences in the bacterial composition of breast tissue of healthy women vs. women with breast cancer. The research team has discovered for the first time that healthy breast tissue contains more of the bacterial species Methylobacterium, a finding which could… Continue reading The Link Between Bacterial Imbalances and Breast Cancer
Telling Your Kids and Grandkids about Your Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Carol saw her doctor about a lump in her breast in early December. By the time the mammogram and biopsy were done, she didn’t want to ruin her adult daughter’s birthday or Christmas. Yes, she had breast cancer, but it wasn’t life threatening. So she sat on the news for more than a month., In… Continue reading Telling Your Kids and Grandkids about Your Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Is Breast Cancer Over-Diagnosed?
Routine mammograms can lead to over-diagnosis and over-treatment of breast cancer, but most American women aren’t aware of these risks of breast cancer screening, reports a study in the October issue of Medical Care, published by Wolters Kluwer. What’s more, most women don’t find statements about breast cancer overdiagnosis and overtreatment to be “believable or… Continue reading Is Breast Cancer Over-Diagnosed?
Surgeons’ Attitudes Influence Patients’ Decisions to Have Both Breasts Removed When Only One Breast Has Cancer
A woman’s choice of surgeon plays a significant role in whether she’s likely to receive an increasingly popular aggressive breast cancer surgery. The procedure, called contralateral prophylactic mastectomy or CPM, involves removing both breasts even when cancer is found only in one. According to a study done at the University of Michigan and published in… Continue reading Surgeons’ Attitudes Influence Patients’ Decisions to Have Both Breasts Removed When Only One Breast Has Cancer
Breast Reconstruction: Why Patient Perceptions Differ
Breast reconstruction after mastectomy is a very subjective experience. Different women who undergo the same type of breast reconstruction may have very different perceptions of newly reconstructed breasts depending on the starting point. In general, the best result in breast reconstruction today is achieved with natural tissue, in which the patient’s own body, usually the… Continue reading Breast Reconstruction: Why Patient Perceptions Differ
Study: Breast-Cancer Patients on Opioids Less Likely to Follow Treatment Regimen
Breast cancer patients who take opioids to manage their pain are less likely to adhere to a potentially lifesaving treatment regimen, according to new research. The treatment, adjuvant endocrine therapy, commonly known as hormone therapy, is used to prevent the cancer from returning after surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Opioid use, however, was “significantly associated”… Continue reading Study: Breast-Cancer Patients on Opioids Less Likely to Follow Treatment Regimen
Secondary Breast Reconstruction: Getting It Right
For many women, breast reconstruction is a process rather than a single procedure. Some women have experienced complications, particularly with implants, that require additional surgery. And many women are simply unhappy with the results of their breast reconstruction. The goal of breast reconstruction after mastectomy is to create a natural breast with the shape, softness… Continue reading Secondary Breast Reconstruction: Getting It Right
Side Effects Not a Problem for a New Class of Breast Cancer Drugs
A new class of oral drugs designed to treat breast cancer is generally well tolerated, according to new research. The drugs,known as cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors, also have a manageable toxicity profile for most patients. Those conclusions came after a comprehensive review of toxicities and drug interactions related to CDK. The research was published in… Continue reading Side Effects Not a Problem for a New Class of Breast Cancer Drugs
Mistaking Breast Cancer Symptoms for Side Effects of Tamoxifen May Be Keeping Some Women from Taking the Preventive Drug
Women who are at high risk of developing breast cancer may be failing to take the preventive anti-cancer drug tamoxifen because they are confusing naturally-occurring symptoms with side effects from the medicine. That is the finding of a study of nearly 4,000 women led by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and published in June… Continue reading Mistaking Breast Cancer Symptoms for Side Effects of Tamoxifen May Be Keeping Some Women from Taking the Preventive Drug
Breast Cancer in Men: Treatments and Genetic Counseling
An update from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on male breast cancer, risk factors and treatment options: Can men get breast cancer? Yes. Although breast cancer is a disease usually associated with women, men get it too. Because male breast cancer is rare, there is very limited information on how to treat men… Continue reading Breast Cancer in Men: Treatments and Genetic Counseling
Mammograms: Are We Overdiagnosing Small Tumors?
An analysis of breast cancer data revealed that many small breast cancers have an excellent prognosis because they are inherently slow growing, according to Yale Cancer Center experts. Often, these cancers will not grow large enough to become significant within a patient’s lifetime, and subsequently early detection could lead to overdiagnosis, the researchers. In contrast,… Continue reading Mammograms: Are We Overdiagnosing Small Tumors?
A New Technique Aims to Ensure That Surgeons Completely Remove Cancer
Researchers have developed a technique to allow breast-cancer surgeons to determine during an operation whether all cancerous tissue has been removed. Of the quarter-million women diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the United States, about 180,000 undergo surgery to remove the cancerous tissue while preserving as much healthy breast tissue as possible. However, there’s… Continue reading A New Technique Aims to Ensure That Surgeons Completely Remove Cancer
Mind-Body Therapies During Breast Cancer Treatment
Researchers have come up with an evidence-based list of appropriate integrative therapies for patients with breast cancer. The list includes meditation and music therapy. The therapies are an addition to conventional medical care, not a replacement. The newly updated guidelines came from research by experts at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and the… Continue reading Mind-Body Therapies During Breast Cancer Treatment